Plant Tropisms as a Window on Plant Computational Processes

A growing plant is a fascinating system involving multiple fields. Biologically, it is a multi-cellular system controlled by bio-chemical networks. Physically, it is an example of an "active solid" whose element (cells) are active, performing mechanical work to drive the evolving geometry. Computationally, it is a distributed system, processing a multitude of local inputs into a coordinated developmental response. In this talk I will discuss how plants, a living information-processing organism, uses physical laws and biological mechanisms to alter its own shape, and negotiate its environment. Here I will focus on two examples reflecting the computational and mechanical aspects: (i) probing temporal integration in gravitropic responses reveals plants sum and subtract signals, (ii) the interplay between active growth-driven processes and passive mechanics.